The National Human Rights Commission on Thursday issued a notice to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Om Prakash Singh, asking him to submit a report within four weeks on the alleged violation of human rights by security forces in the state, in the wake of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, Live Law reported. The commission issued the notice based on a complaint filed in the matter.

The complaint alleged that the state of Uttar Pradesh has violated the rights of people to assemble peacefully, by a blanket imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits the assembly of four or more people, and by cutting off internet services in parts of the state. These decisions, the complainant claimed, were taken to “brutally muzzle protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019”.

The complainant added that the death of over two dozen people within two days is a matter of serious concern. The complaint added that the police themselves have been destroying property and committing abuses of power in cities like Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Lucknow, Meerut, Kanpur, Varanasi, Sambhal, Ferozabad, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur, Deoband, Shamli and Hapur.

At least 18 people have been killed in Uttar Pradesh, and 25 in the country, during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act so far. A report on December 23 had said that 14 of the 17 deaths in Uttar Pradesh were due to firearm injuries, contrary to police claims that not a single bullet had been fired.

A report on Wednesday said that the police detained at least five minors at the Bijnor Police Cantonment last week, and tortured them over 48 hours before releasing them.

The Rampur district administration in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday sent notices to 28 people seeking an explanation on why recoveries should not be made for damage worth Rs 14.86 lakh caused during anti-Citizenship Act protests.

Advocates Shadan Farasat, Nanita Sharma, Ajay Singh and Pyoli Swatija, as well as a law student named Shrey Sinha, jointly filed the petition on Thursday. It has sought initiation of immediate inquiry under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The complaint states that the NHRC must intervene because the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court are on vacation.

The commission, after taking note of the complaint, listed the matter on January 31, 2020, for preliminary consideration.

The Citizenship Amendment Act has triggered protests across India after being approved by Parliament on December 11. The legislation provides citizenship to people from six religious minority groups in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, provided they have lived in India for six years. The cut-off date is December 31, 2014. The law has attracted widespread criticism as it excludes Muslims.